Thursday, October 02, 2008

High Commissioner to the UK,Mr. John Dauth LVO,Australian High Commission,Strand, London, WC2B 4LA.Fax: 0207 240 5333

Your Excellency,

As you will be aware the British police and Crown Prosecution Service have executed a Mannheim-originating warrant on an Australian national, the historian Dr. Fredrick Töben, who was arrested onboard an aeroplane at Heathrow while simply in transit from the USA to Dubai.Even as he had no intention of entering Britain, he was seized off the aeroplane and brought into this country where his alleged crimes do not even constitute an offence.

For the first time, therefore, the European Arrest Warrant is being used in a manner that we in Britain were assured would not be applied in Britain, which has declined to adopt a “Holocaust denial” law, because it is contrary to British traditions of freedom of enquiry and expression.

under the headline:“Extradition bid raises fears of 'thought crime' offences”.

I trust that the High Commission will provide consular assistance to Dr. Töben and will monitor this disturbing and unprecedented development so as to keep our fellow Australians informed of what they can expect from the UK legal system when travelling or in transit.

6 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I thought once you went through Customs at an airport you had left Britain and were now in International territory. I am surprised the Police were allowed to arrest Dr Toben as he had not even entered the UK. In a way the police commited and illegal act, the British Police would not be allowed to enter France and just arrest someone at will, so why should they be allowed to do this.

Australian revisionist historian to remain in UK custody for a weekMan wanted in Germany for Holocaust denial will face extradition hearing later this monthAngela Balakrishnan and agencies guardian.co.uk, Friday October 03 2008 17:38 BST Article historyAn Australian revisionist historian wanted in Germany for alleged Holocaust denial will remain in British custody for at least another week, it emerged today.

The district court in Mannheim, Germany, issued an EU arrest warrant that accuses him of publishing material on the internet "of an anti-Semitic and/or revisionist" nature.

Toben, appearing at City of Westminster magistrates' court today under his full name, Gerald Fredrick Toben, will appear before the court on October 10 to discuss bail. An extradition hearing will be held on October 17.

Toben posted information online between 2000 and 2004 that denied, approved of or played down the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis, the charge alleges.

He was arrested while in transit from the US to Dubai, a hearing on Wednesday heard. At the same hearing, Toben said he did not consent to extradition.

A small group of supporters, including the controversial British historian, David Irving, attended today's hearing.

Outside the courtroom Irving, who was jailed in Austria for denying the Holocaust, said: "Either you have freedom of speech or you don't."Freedom of speech means the right to be wrong."

Asked if he agreed with Toben, he said: "I disapprove of some of his views but he has the right to express them. This case is about the right to say what you think and the right to be wrong."